10 / 44
Millions tonnes
(producers above
500 000 tonnes only)
Paper and paperboard production
10
1
30
20
80
Includes all types of paper and paperboard:
newsprint; printing and writing paper; construction paper and
paperboard; household and sanitary paper; special thin paper;
wrapping and packaging paper and paperboard and all other
paper and paperboard.
Source: FAO,
Forestry Report 2003
.
MANUFACTURING WASTE
The big waste factory
Have you ever considered the volume of waste caused by manufac-
turing the little implement for cleaning your teeth? One toothbrush
causes 1.5 kilograms’ waste. About 94% of the materials extracted
for use in manufacturing durable products become waste before the
product is manufactured.
Industry is the top producer of waste in developed countries. A
large proportion of industrial waste is hazardous, because industrial
processes often involve chemicals. Cleaner production – reducing
the amount of problematic components in a product and additives
used in the production process – waste avoidance anda life cycle
approach to waste management are attempts in the right direction.
For some, this is not enough: they promote a complete rethinking of
material use – only use components that have a positive influence
on the environment! There is talk of a “new industrial revolution” and
‘cradle to cradle design’.
Waste water stains on white paper
Though it is based on wood, a natural renewable resource, the pulp and paper in-
dustry is one of the worst sources of pollution. It absorbs more than 40 per cent of
all timber felled worldwide. Despite the development of digital communications tools
global paper production is expected to increase by 2.2 per cent a year from 330 mil-
lion tonnes at present to 440 million tonnes worldwide by 2015. The main growth
areas are Asia and Eastern Europe, but annual per capita consumption in Western
Europe is also expected to rise from 207 kilograms currently to 264 kilograms.
Regulations and legislation introduced in Europe and North America in recent
years require improved production processes both in terms of energy consumption,
resource usage and pollution control. Bleach-free production is technically possible
now and water pollution could be cut to a minimum. Thanks to labels that com-
municate environmental standards, consumers could and should be aware of the
possibilities of choosing paper with less environmental impact.
Transferring production from Europe and North America to other parts of the world
where standards tend to be lower (China, South America) partly outweighs these gains.
Producing paper differ-
ently
The Julius Schulte Söhne
GmbH paper mill in Düsseldorf
manufactures paper from re-
cycled waste paper, with zero
effluents. Thanks to proprietary
technology the mill cleans its
own waste water and reuses
it. It thus saves some 260 000
cubic metres of water and €400
000 in sewage expenses. The
gas produced by the effluents is
scrubbed to remove the sulphur
and used to generate electricity,
covering all the requirements of
the mill.
From 2009 the Forscot mill in
Scotland plans to produce pa-
per in a fully integrated mill sup-
plied by timber from Scotland
and the north of England, de-
livered by train or boat. Waste
materials (bark, sawdust, etc.)
and effluents linked to pulp
production will be used for the
mill’s electrical power supply.
About 90 per cent of the 144
megawatt output will be used
on the spot, the rest being fed
into the power grid. Forscot
plans to produce about 970
000 tonnes of paper and pulp,
of various grades, primarily tar-
geting customers in the United
Kingdom, where demand is
high. Deliveries will be made by
rail or sea.
For an example of how waste
from the paper industry can be
reduced by reusing paper di-
rectly see pages 30–31.